Orchidaceae

Ada

Representative Image
Representative image.

Kingdom: Plantae Rank: Genus Parent: Orchidaceae Status: Invalid Reason: unverified

Morphological Description

Diagnosis: Species of Ada were previously included in a broadly defined Brassia and have similar spider-like flowers. They differ by having conspicuous floral bracts which typically exceed the ovaries in length. In Brassia the floral bracts are inconspicuous and typically less than 1/10th the length of the ovaries.

Vegetative Morphology

Habit: Caespitose epiphytes. Pseudobulbs subtended by series of foliaceous bracts, graduated in size becoming larger towards the apex.

Leaves: Leaves usually solitary, linear, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, acute, subequal to or slightly smaller than the uppermost foliaceous bracts.

Reproductive Morphology

Inflorescence: Inflorescences erect-arching pedunculate racemes, with prominent floral bracts often exceeding the ovaries.

Flowers: Flowers cupped. Sepals and petals subsimilar, subequal, free, lanceolate, acute-acuminate. Lip unlobed, subparallel to the column, the callus biseriate, the posterior callus a broad pad encompassed by the column wings, often with trichomes, the anterior callus of two small keels or teeth. Column short, straight, with prominent keel-like wings at the base; pollinia 2, grooved, with a broadly obtriangular stipe on a minute viscidium.